Towson students win Anti-Theft PSA Awards

Towson University Electronic Media & Film students were named the winners of a contest for audio and video productions designed to help state law enforcement fight crime.

Rachel Armiger ’14, Jahannah Kincheloe ’15 and Joseph Everngam ’14 produced the public service announcements (PSAs), one in video form and two in audio form.
“Awesome,” said Everngam, who won the larger audio award. “It will look good on my (resumé) reel.”

The Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council and the Maryland DC Anti-Car Theft Committee granted the awards, giving $500 to Everngam for his audio production, $250 to Kincheloe for her audio production, and $250 each to Kincheloe and Arminger, who teamed up to produce the video PSA.

“It’s a validation that the work we do in film and audio are both different and worth it,” said Kincheloe.

The project also allows entrants to stretch their production muscles and explore without the constraints of a class assignment or a set of requirements. “I get to direct and write with full creative control, and I can take it any direction I want,” said Arminger.

The PSAs, which all run 30 seconds, focus on auto theft crime prevention, auto arson, insurance fraud, car break-ins and other auto-related crimes. They will be broadcast locally on WBAL-TV 11 and WBAL-AM 1090.

“The contest provides an opportunity for the local community to see the high quality work done by Towson University Electronic Media and Film students,” said EMF Program Chair John MacKerron. “For the winning students, it’s a great addition to a resumé.”

This is the fifth year the Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council and the Maryland DC Anti-Car Theft Committee has worked with Towson EMF students on their anti-theft PSA campaign.

“One of the reasons we continue to work with Towson is the students present a professional product and Towson has the right equipment for them to work with,” said Paul Holland, vice president of the MD/DC Anti-Car Theft Committee.

“The PSAs the Towson Students produce are the best in the Baltimore region,” said Christopher T. McDonald, deputy director of the MD Vehicle Theft Prevention Council. “We’re happy to work with the Towson students to produce a real product to get the message of [preventing] auto theft to the public.”